nastyleg
07-30-2011, 05:15 PM
Anxiety in Afghanistan over troops' pay if U.S. defaults
Published: July 30, 2011
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told troops in Afghanistan on Saturday that it's uncertain whether the U.S. will be able to pay troops on time in the event of a debt default, according to a story by the Reuters news agency.
After several troops at Kandahar Air Field expressed concern over the budget debate taking place in Washington, Mullen told them that Pentagon officials were working hard to plan for a potential default, the Reuters report says.
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Mullen acknowledged that many troops lived paycheck to paycheck, saying, "... if paychecks were to stop, it would have a devastating impact."
"I'd like to give you a better answer than that right now, I just honestly don't know," he was quote by Reuters as telling troops.
The U.S. said it will run out of money to pay its bills after Tuesday if there is no deal from Congress to raise the debt ceiling. Where U.S. troops fall in priority for payment in a default has not been made clear, Reuters says.
"I have confidence that at some point ... whatever compensation you were owed you will be given," Reuters quoted Mullen as saying. "But I don't know mechanically exactly how that would happen. And it is a huge concern."
http://www.stripes.com/anxiety-in-afghanistan-over-troops-pay-if-u-s-defaults-1.150636
On a personal note.
I was in Iraq when the government decided to do this same shit. The DOD decided that the politicians could not get their shit together so they cut my pay before the 11th hour signing. The fact that my paycheck which I am the sole bread winner so it caused problems on my wives ability to pay RENT!!! It is not just the active duty troops that suffer. I am a reservist who just got done with his 4th fucking tour and I am on terminal leave. I only have that paycheck coming in because I am not ready mentally to go back to work. So once again they are fucking with my ability to pay bills.
Now with that being said. I have been paid. SO the troops have been paid.
Published: July 30, 2011
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told troops in Afghanistan on Saturday that it's uncertain whether the U.S. will be able to pay troops on time in the event of a debt default, according to a story by the Reuters news agency.
After several troops at Kandahar Air Field expressed concern over the budget debate taking place in Washington, Mullen told them that Pentagon officials were working hard to plan for a potential default, the Reuters report says.
Advertisement
Mullen acknowledged that many troops lived paycheck to paycheck, saying, "... if paychecks were to stop, it would have a devastating impact."
"I'd like to give you a better answer than that right now, I just honestly don't know," he was quote by Reuters as telling troops.
The U.S. said it will run out of money to pay its bills after Tuesday if there is no deal from Congress to raise the debt ceiling. Where U.S. troops fall in priority for payment in a default has not been made clear, Reuters says.
"I have confidence that at some point ... whatever compensation you were owed you will be given," Reuters quoted Mullen as saying. "But I don't know mechanically exactly how that would happen. And it is a huge concern."
http://www.stripes.com/anxiety-in-afghanistan-over-troops-pay-if-u-s-defaults-1.150636
On a personal note.
I was in Iraq when the government decided to do this same shit. The DOD decided that the politicians could not get their shit together so they cut my pay before the 11th hour signing. The fact that my paycheck which I am the sole bread winner so it caused problems on my wives ability to pay RENT!!! It is not just the active duty troops that suffer. I am a reservist who just got done with his 4th fucking tour and I am on terminal leave. I only have that paycheck coming in because I am not ready mentally to go back to work. So once again they are fucking with my ability to pay bills.
Now with that being said. I have been paid. SO the troops have been paid.